Improved velocipede



No. 90,470. Y Patented May 25, 1869.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

L. H. SOULE, OF MOUNT MORRIS, NEW YORK.

IMPROVED VELOCIPEDE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 90,470, dated May 25,1869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, L. H. SOULE, of Mount Morris, in the county of Livingston and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Velocipede 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, 'and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure l represents a side elevation of my improved velocipede. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation ot' the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a new manner of arranging a velocipede, so that its two hind wheelscan be readily broughttogether or apart in order to produce a two or three wheeled instrument. v

The invention consists in attaching the rear wheels to hinged arms, which can be swung more or less together at the pleasure of the operator, to produce the desired effect while the instrument is at rest or in motion.

Ain the drawings represents the front Whele of my improved velocipede. It is mounted on a crank-shaft, B, as usual, said shaft having its bearings in the lower ends of a doubled-up or forked plate, C, the said plate being, by means of a vertical pin, a, pivoted to the front end of the reach or main bar D. rIhe plate O has a forward goose-neck projection, b, to which a lever, E, is pivoted, the ends of said lever being, by means of rods F F, connected with the cranks of the axle B. The foot-supports o c are arranged in suitable manner on the rods F.

G is the seat, arranged on the reach D. The operator has his feet on the supports c, while his hands are on the lever E, so that he may add the strength of his upper to that of his lower extremities. At the same time the lever E will answer to steer the instrument, as by pushing one end or the other forward the plate O will be swung on the pivot a to cause a corresponding motion of the front wheel.

The rear wheels, Il H, are hung or mounted on short arbors, which are supported in frames or plates I I, that are at their front edges hinged to curved bars J J respectively. The

l latter bars are in front fastened by the pin a,

so that they can swing on the same.

The reach D, as well as the bars J, are so pin a in either direction. The rear end of the reach D is entirely loose. 1t is not connected with the rear wheels, and may carrya pin, d, which projects from its rear, as shown.

The two plates I I are connected with each other by pivoted braces or bars K K, which are in the middle connected' with each other by a pin, c, as shown.

The pin c projects from a forked or slotted plate, f, which embraces the reach D, so that it can slide but not turn thereon. It serves to keep the rear wheels always equidistant from the reach and in the same direction.

The two bars J J are connected with each other near the seat G by means of jointed levers L L, as shown. By means of these levers they can be swung on the pivot a so as either to stand apart, as in Fig. 2, or to close together, as in Fig. 3. When they are extended, as in Fig. 2, they will also carry the plates I apart, and with them the rear wheels, while the bracesK will be almost in a straight line, all as indicated in Fig. 2. The pin c rests in this position on the stop d, and is thereby prevented from falling below the lower end of the reach. The rear wheels are so far apart as to firmly support the whole instrument, which is in this position a three-wheeled veloci'- pede. When, however, the bars J are swung together, the wheels H will be caused to touch, and the braces K will be almost parallel with each other, the pin c having traveled up on the reach, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3. The wheels H will thus form but one wheel, and the instrument will have been transformed into a two-wheeled velocipede. The levers L, being near the seat, can be readily operated while the instrument is in motion, so that the greater security of a three-wheeled or the greater velocity of a two-wheeled instrument may be obtained at will.

I prefer to leave out the hubs on the inner faces of the wheels H, or to otherwise so coustruct them that they can be brought close together, as in Fig. 3.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Securing the rear wheels, H H, to pivoted bent that they will clear the front wheel, A, and will allow the same to be swung on theV et. In combination with the foregoing, the rods F F, provided with the foot-rests co, and'connected with the pivoted steering-lever E, having projecting handles, and with the cranks of the driving-axle, all arranged and combined as herein described, for the purpose specitled.

L. H. SOULE.

Witnesses:

' THos. J. GAMBLE, L. A. OOLBURN. 

